Reactors, systems and methods for depositing thin films onto microfeature workpieces

Abstract

A reactor, system including reactors, and methods for depositing thin films on microfeature workpieces comprising a reaction vessel having a chamber, a gas distributor attached to the reaction vessel, a workpiece holder in the chamber, and a side unit in the reaction vessel at a location relative to the gas distributor and/or the workpiece holder. The gas distributor has a plurality of primary outlets open to the chamber, and the workpiece holder has a process site aligned with the primary outlets. The side unit has a secondary outlet open to the chamber that operates independently of the primary outlets. One of the inner compartment, the side unit and/or the workpiece holder can be movable between a first position to form a small-volume cell for introducing the reactant gases to the microfeature workpiece and a second position to form a large volume space for purging the reactant gases.

1. A reactor for depositing thin films on microfeature workpieces, comprising:
 a reaction vessel having a chamber; 
 a gas distributor attached to the reaction vessel, the gas distributor having an inner compartment including a plurality of primary outlets open to the chamber; 
 a workpiece holder in the chamber, the workpiece holder having a process site aligned with the primary outlets along a lift path, and the process site having an outer boundary; and 
 a side unit in the reaction vessel at a location relative to the gas distributor and/or the workpiece holder, the side unit surrounding at least a portion of the inner compartment, and the side unit having a bottom surface below the primary outlets and a downwardly facing secondary outlet at the bottom surface configured to direct a downwardly flowing gas curtain through a region outside of the outer boundary of the process site, wherein (a) the secondary outlet operates independently of the primary outlets and (b) the inner compartment, the side unit and/or the workpiece holder are moveable along the lift path between a first position and a second position; 
 wherein an inner portion of the bottom surface of the side unit is superimposed over an outer portion of the workpiece holder such that the inner portion of the bottom surface contacts the outer portion of the workpiece holder in the first position. 
 
   
   
     2. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein the workpiece holder is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     3. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein the workpiece holder further comprises a guide assembly, an actuator, and a platform attached to the guide assembly and the actuator. 
   
   
     4. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein the gas distributor is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     5. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein the side unit is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     6. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein the side unit comprises a lip fixed to the gas distributor, and wherein the lip projects away from the gas distributor toward the workpiece holder. 
   
   
     7. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein:
 the gas distributor further comprises a distributor plate at the bottom of the inner compartment, and the primary outlets are in the distributor plate; and 
 the side unit comprises an annular lip fixed to a perimeter of the gas distributor, the lip depending downwardly below the distributor plate, and the secondary outlet comprising a plurality of openings along the lip. 
 
   
   
     8. The reactor of  claim 1  wherein:
 the gas distributor comprises a distributor plate at the bottom of the inner compartment, and the primary outlets are in the distributor plate; and 
 the secondary outlet comprises a plurality of openings. 
 
   
   
     9. A system for depositing thin films on microfeature workpieces, comprising:
 a gas supply having a reactant gas source and a purge gas source; and 
 a reactor comprising—
 (1) a reaction vessel having a chamber; 
 (2) a gas distributor attached to the reaction vessel, the gas distributor having an inner compartment and a distributor plate including a plurality of primary outlets open to the chamber; 
 (3) a workpiece holder in the chamber, the workpiece holder having a process site aligned with the primary outlets along a lift path, and the processing site having an outer boundary; and 
 (4) a side unit operatively coupled to the purge gas source, the side unit surrounding at least a portion of the inner compartment and/or the process site and having downwardly facing secondary outlets below the distributor plate that are configured to direct a downwardly flowing purge gas curtain through a region outside of the outer boundary of the process site, wherein (a) the secondary outlets operate independently of the primary outlets and (b) the inner compartment, the side unit and/or the workpiece holder are moveable along the lift path; 
 wherein an inner portion of the bottom surface of the side unit is superimposed over an outer portion of the workpiece holder such that the inner portion of the bottom surface contacts the outer portion of the workpiece holder in the first position. 
 
 
   
   
     10. The system of  claim 9  wherein the workpiece holder is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 9  wherein the workpiece holder further comprises a guide assembly, an actuator, and a platform attached to the guide assembly and the actuator. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 9  wherein the gas distributor is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 9  wherein the side unit is moveable between a first position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a first distance and a second position in which the workpiece holder is spaced apart from the primary outlets by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 9  wherein the side unit comprises a lip fixed to the gas distributor, and wherein the lip projects away from the gas distributor toward the workpiece holder. 
   
   
     15. The system of  claim 9  wherein:
 the gas distributor further comprises a distributor plate at the bottom of the inner compartment, and the primary outlets are in the distributor plate; and 
 the side unit comprises an annular lip fixed to a perimeter of the gas distributor, the lip depending downwardly below the distributor plate, and the secondary outlet comprising a plurality of openings along the lip. 
 
   
   
     16. The system of  claim 9  wherein:
 the gas distributor comprises a distributor plate at the bottom of the inner compartment, and the primary outlets are in the distributor plate; and 
 the secondary outlet comprises a plurality of openings along the lip.